Public Health in the Rockies 2026

Background:
Youth nicotine use remains a public health concern and is closely connected with mental health. Public health campaigns are often adult-led and rely on deficit-based, abstinence-focused messaging that may limit meaningful youth engagement and behavior change. In contrast, Skip the Hit, a youth-led, co-designed media campaign, applied the Social Justice Youth Development framework by partnering with young people as public health leaders. This approach centers youth voice and lived experience to shape messaging that more authentically reaches youth, supports incremental behavior change, and promotes mental health.

Methods:
Fourteen young people participated in a three-phase leadership and media development initiative over 30 weeks in partnership with Jefferson County Public Health. Phase One built knowledge of nicotine use, mental health, media literacy, and critical analysis of industry influences and systemic factors. Phase Two involved collaboration with a creative agency to co-design campaign branding and messaging. Phase Three centered on youth-led production of social media content and participatory decision-making about campaign budget and implementation. Throughout, youth were compensated, and adults engaged in ongoing coaching and reflective practice.

Results:
This project produced a media campaign made by and for young people, offering supportive, honest, and non-judgmental messaging to promote healthy decision-making. It also influenced shifts in adult attitudes and beliefs about youth, including the adoption of equitable, anti-adultist practices. Evaluations to date indicate increased levels of trust, balance of power, psychological empowerment, and mutual learning between youth and adults.

Implications:
Social justice–driven, youth co-designed approaches strengthen public health education while building leadership capacity.

One hour allows for presenting on planning/facilitation of meetings with youth, campaign co-creation/implementation, analytics, and lessons learned. Attendees will discuss/compare current youth engagement approaches to a Social Justice Youth Development model and will identify organizational constraints to power-sharing and actionable changes to support equitable youth engagement.